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Year of the Covenant
Broadly, the current era in man-kin's history is referred to as the Years of the Covenant (YC). It is the "modern" period of kin history, is still ongoing, and has lasted about 1800 Landfall years. (note that one year on Landfall is about two years on Earth) The Beginning of YC The Years of the Covenant began when the oceans receded at the end of Water's Age and the First man-kin set foot on land. Prior to this moment, according to the legend of Atressa's Accord, man-kin were pledged to serve the Ahzulan sea gods as slaves for all time. But at the end of Water's Age, the First made a deal with the Ahzulan, thereby setting man-kin free. This deal was called the Covenant, and the date of the legendary Covenant is the first day of the Thlossian and Tazitan calendars. From this moment forward, years were counted, starting from zero, and noted with the label "YC". For example, the Myriad ended circa 900 YC -- 900 years after the First set foot on land. The Thlossian and Tazitan calendars shared the same date for almost 900 years, until the world was plunged into chaos, famine, and war during the Lost Years. During the Lost Years, much of man-kin's historical knowledge was destroyed, and the two calendars diverged. Nobody knows exactly how long the Lost Years lasted -- they are literally "lost years." This explains why the Thlossian and Tazitan calendars no longer have the same date. In fact, multiple Thlossian calendars, in different parts of the Green Cradle, came to disagree about what year it was. Transition to Harvest Years (HY) About 200 years ago, Neitsches conquered the Thlossian kingdoms of the Green Cradle and forced them to harmonize their calendars. The Norst also stopped using the notation "YC" and used "HY" (Harvest Year) instead. This was because, as centuries passed, the Covenant was increasingly regarded as a myth -- a silly superstition inherited from ancient people who still thought gods were involved in man-kin affairs. The modern humanist philosophy of the Thlossian Faith had gradually phased-out such god-fearing superstitions and replaced them with more practical, kin-centered beliefs. This included changing "YC" to "HY." The transition to Harvest Years was heavily promoted by the Care-Takers' Guild. Conversely, the Navigators' Guild still prefers "YC." Tazitan still worship gods and therefore still use "YC." The Current Year (1827 HY) According to the Thlossian calendar, the current year in Landfall at the beginning of Book 1 is 1827 HY (sometimes noted as 1827 YC). This is the "official" year in all Thlossian kingdoms, by edict of the Conclave. According to the Tazitan calendar, the current year is 1749 YC. The nearly 80-year disagreement between the two calendars is a result of the turmoil of the Lost Years. Nobody knows for sure which calendar is correct. They are likely both wrong. Relationship to the Shaolei Just like the Thlossian and Tazitan calendars, the Shaolei calendar begins at the end of Water's Age, except that the Shaolei believe they surfaced naturally from the ocean floor, and there is no such thing as the Covenant. Or if there is, they did not agree to it. Therefore, the Shaolei never used the label "YC." The Shaolei also suffered during the Lost Years, just like everyone else. Thus, their calendar is likely inaccurate, too. According to the Shaolei calendar, the current year is "year 1921."